homeschooling resources

I am always on the lookout for exciting new freeware (free technology) to enhance our homeschool experience. Recently, I came across two that have become indispensable not only in our learning environment, but in social networking with family and friends. The first one, Jing, allows you to share basic screen captures and screen recordings. It’s fun, easy and simple to use. After downloading, you

Homeschooling parents who want to teach their child via online classes for free, live with peers and a teacher, along with online materials and resources can use Moodle. Moodle a free and open-source e-learning software platform. It has a general public license, which means it can be downloaded for free, copied, modified and be used forever by individuals and organizations. It does need to

In a recent web group discussion, homeschooling parents were discussing the cost of education. The discussion took a turn when one post pointed out that Connections Academy (the online public school option) receives approximately $8,000 per student from each of the states it is available in. Another homeschooling mom posted that in NY, public schools receive $17,500 per student. It’s shocking really, to see

Record-keeping just got a lot easier! Evernote is a fantastic free tool for homeschoolers to keep records of their children’s learning. Up until now, I have had to print out web pages, get pictures printed, summarize details of a lesson in a notebook, keep written track of the resources we use etc. It’s time consuming, hard to keep up and sometimes very unpleasant. Now

If you’re like me, as your children grow older, you may find it increasingly difficult to accomplish all that needs to be done during a typical homeschooling day. Reading and math are a must, and sometimes just getting through those two subjects can take easily- distracted students several hours to complete. Lunchtime often becomes a much-needed break for everyone. And if you’re schooling multiple

Whether you’re new to homeschooling or more experienced with teaching your children at home, it’s likely you’ll have days when you need a little extra encouragement. Fortunately, there are a number veteran homeschoolers who have put that encouragement down in writing so you can refer to it whenever you need to. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or uncertain, pick up one of the following books

I recently upgraded to an IPhone and was in the process of downloading my music library from ITunes when I came across ITunesU. What caught my eye was the phrase “free education”. As all homeschooling parents will understand, I am always on the lookout for free anything, but free education sounded extra special. Well, I can say, after checking it out, that it is AWESOME! Educational

As a homeschooling mother, I find myself wearing many hats. As kids get older, I am less of a teacher and more of a guide. If the goal is to home school all the way through high school, it seems a prepared parent is the most successful. Getting kids through high school is more about planning than knowing the intricacies of geometry. Once your

I love yard sales, store sales, and going to sales with coupons in hand. Basically, I just enjoy finding a good deal on a quality item. That’s why when I found HomeschoolFreebie.com, I just had to share it. Every Monday through Friday, Homeschool Freebie of the Day posts a new product that’s available for free. Items include e-books, audio programs, samples, lesson plans, unit

This year at our homeschool co-op, I’m teaching a class in creative writing using the WriteShop first year program. The curriculum is very well laid out; I have really enjoyed using the program with the co-op students and can’t wait to teach it to my own daughter next year. While I thought I had all WriteShop offered when I purchased the Instructor’s Manual, Student